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The talented musician, one half of the groundbreaking 1980s synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has passed away at the age of 66.

Alongside vocalist Marc Almond, the pair scored a worldwide hit with their cover of Gloria Jones' the classic track Tainted Love in 1984, and their debut album their initial full-length release is considered a classic of synth-pop.

He later formed the pioneering techno group The Grid, who secured chart success with their 1994 single the hit Swamp Thing.

Ball passed away calmly in his sleep at his home in London on October 22, just weeks after performing a headline show with Soft Cell at the Rewind music event in Henley-on-Thames.

Health Struggles

During that show, Ball appeared in a wheelchair, as he had for the last two years, following a period of ill-health.

"I ended up injure myself significantly," he stated in 2023. "I broke lower vertebrae in my spine and cracked about five ribs and broke my arm."

After contracting a lung infection and suffering from sepsis, he was placed in an medically-induced sleep and stayed in hospital for seven months.

However, he had been in "a great place emotionally" during the warmer months, as he was developing a new album with Almond, called Danceteria, which is set for publication in the coming year.

"He was concentrated and so happy with the new album that we literally completed only a few days ago," stated the vocalist in a tribute.

"It's truly heartbreaking as next year was completely planned to be such an uplifting year for him, and I find comfort from the knowledge that he heard the finished record and felt that it was a great piece of work."

Tributes

Almond described his collaborator as "an exceptionally talented creative mastermind", stating: "He was the core essence of Soft Cell and I'm extremely pleased of our body of work.

"Many thanks Dave for being an significant part of my life and for the songs you gave me. I couldn't be where I am without you."

Richard Norris from The Grid, also paid tribute, remembering Ball's "constant humor" and "unwavering friendship".

"Being in a duo with someone is different from being in a band, the bond is very tight," he continued.

"That was the case with us. We went through so many extraordinary, extraordinary, life-affirming moments together. Thank you, Dave."

Early Life

Born into a one-parent family in Chester in 1959, Ball was put up for adoption when he was a year and a half old.

He grew up in Blackpool with adoptive parents his caregivers, who altered his first name from Paul to his adopted name, together with his younger sister Susan, who was also adopted.

He met Almond at Leeds Polytechnic in the late 70s, where they were both studying art. Fuelled by a shared love of a music genre, they formed Soft Cell the very year, and promptly recorded an EP.

Creative Collaboration

The duo were an distinctive pairing: Ball was the quiet technician, bent over his synthesizer, while Almond was a flamboyant showman, all glitter and makeup; but they achieved a rare musical alchemy.

Ball had developed a fascination with synthesizers after watching the band Kraftwerk appear on a television science show Tomorrow's World, and began to combine dark electronica to the catchy tunes Almond was composing.

Tainted Love became the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling single of the early 80s, shifting millions of units globally. Together with hits by Gary Numan, contemporary bands and Ultravox, it contributed to paved the path for the synth-pop sound of the 80s.

The song was also included on their full-length debut, their initial LP, which produced two additional high-charting singles: Bedsitter and Say Hello, Wave Goodbye.

They followed the album up with the separate release, Torch, which peaked at number two in 1982.

Professional Journey

Success had its upsides. "I enjoyed being able to purchase my initial property, having money and travelling, which makes me sound like a Miss World," Ball recently told with a publication.

But it also caused problems. "Newfound wealth meant we could purchase substances to alleviate the monotony" of press appearances and TV performances, Ball explained.

"I know that's a common saying, but it's a truism for a good reason, because it works for so many musicians."

During the hedonistic lifestyle, the pair were also growing distant, but they managed to produce a follow-up memorable record - the wayward, tense and aptly-titled The Art Of Falling Apart.

They released one more LP, their 1984 release This Last Night In Sodom, before ending the group to focus on individual endeavors.

Almond went on to have a successful solo career, featuring the chart-topping single Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart; while Ball created The Grid, who combined dance music with ambient pop over a long-lasting collaboration.

Reunions and Final Projects

Soft Cell reunited in the early 2000s, releasing the charting record Cruelty Without Beauty.

After a further hiatus, they returned in 2018, issuing the original singles Northern Lights and Guilty (Cos I Say You Are) before performing what was intended to be a farewell show at the O2 Arena on September 30, that year.

Yet, they stayed together, recording their latest project, Happiness Not Included, during the pandemic Covid lockdown.

Ball lately described the duo's new album as a homage to the New York club scene they frequented while making their initial records.

He added that his time in medical care had shaped the band's sound.

"I experienced strange recollections when I was in and out of the hospital because I was on morphine," he explained to a music magazine.

"The new songs are a digital reflection of the noises in my head from that time.

"In parallel, it's about the times me and Marc had in the 1980s."

The final mixes were completed only days before Ball died. It is due for release in Spring 2026.